The Crown & The Fire - On hiatus
by Valyrian Witch
Summary: Lucy is a princess. She's tired of living in her castle, feeling like a prisioner for never being able to see the outside world. One day, her kingdom is attacked by a man who leads an army of creatures, making her parents captive and she's forced to flee, running into a mysterious boy who has fire on his hands and challenges her to go on an adventure to save her kingdom.
1. The Princess of Magnolia

"Lucy! Come down, dinner's ready!"

"I'm coming! Always the same, they can't wait."

 ** _Knock Knock_**

"Miss Lucy, your mother is calling for dinner, the food is gonna get cold soon."

"Ugh, is everyone deaf in this house? I said "I'm coming".

"I'm sorry, Miss Lucy."

"Miss Lucy this, Miss Lucy that. I'm tired of all those formalities." I placed my comb on the table and got up. "Let's go, then. Before my mother has a heart attack for being late to one of her delightful meals."

"Umm... It's not your mother who coo-"

"I KNOW that very well, thank you. It was sarcasm."

As soon as I left the room, I got grumpy. I hate to be pressured, it's one of the worst things someone can do to me. A lady can't be pressured to do something that she doesn't want to do, I'll get wrinkles! I hate wrinkles! I've already started noticing that on my mother, but as soon as I spot some on me, I'll go crazy! Crazy!"

* * *

"Oh, my daughter! Finally!" my father yells, "I was starting to get worried, your mother wouldn't stop screaming for you. I was afraid that we would have to assist her."

"Don't worry, mother, I'm here just as you wanted." I smiled sarcastically.

"Don't be rude, you can be sure that if you don't eat your whole meal, you'll be grounded tonight."

"What do you mean by that? Am I not grounded everyday? I don't even remember the last time that you actually let me out of this castle. Oh wait... You never did."

"When was the last time that you acted like a lady?" there was silence, "Thought so. Now, eat and stop complaining."

I did as my mother told me. It was always like this, I always have to do what she asks or I'd be locked up in my room the whole day as usual. What I said wasn't a lie, there wasn't a damn time when I could actually go outside. This castle suffocates me. I have to be in it every single day and learn all these costumes and habits of a lady, just like my mother wanted. I have to listen to the handmaidens all day reading books about the previous queens that existed in my family and how i'd have to follow their example. I hated those stories. There wasn't a single queen who'd ever stood up against all these stupid rules and went on an adventure outside. I didn't want to be like that, I wanted to be a different queen. I mean... A different princess in this case.

That's right. I'm a princess. Princess Heartfilia of the Magnolia Kingdom. Ever since I was born, I had to endure all these costumes and rules made by the royal family ages ago. I can't imagine something worse than having your whole life planned as soon as you're born. It's ridiculous, there isn't a single day where my mom authorizes me to go outside the gates of this castle, not even to visit the streets to see all the attractions or people working. Nothing. It's like a nightmare while being awake. Everyone in this castle says that the people out there are living miserably and there's nothing better than being here, but I don't agree. I mean, it seems that outside is where all the fun is. I just wanted to be there at least once.

"Why are you so interested about the streets, my daughter?" my father asked.

"Is it really that hard to figure out? Everything out there is a world to see and I'm 17, I haven't seen anything, not even half."

"It's dangerous for you out there, especially cause you don't know anything about anything. You're better off here, you need to prepare yourself to succeed us in case something bad happens."

"What can exactly happen? We're not at war, why are you so afraid of me going out there?"

"You don't know **anything** about the outside world and it will remain that way as long as I live. Do you understand?" my mom protested.

"Listen to your mother, please don't fight."

"As if you were ever gonna take my side. I'm so done!" I got up quickly and ran to my room. None of my parents said another word, but it would be in vain 'cause all I wanted was to get out of there.

* * *

As soon as I got to my room, I sat on my little study table next to a very big window where you can see the streets and the mountains right in front of the castle. It was my favorite spot. I could see everything from this window, it was as far as I could go in contact with the outside world. I could see tons of people dancing, blacksmiths working, women selling flowers and everything little thing there was to see there. I just wish I could see it closer... The mountains on the horizon amazed me even more. They were beautiful, I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to see them up close, or even how it would feel to touch snow. Snow... I read about it from my books, what a dream. Everything about my books was a dream, everything I read about the outside world was a dream that seemed to be non-existent for me. I was still staring outside when someone knocked on my door. It was my father.

"Can I come in?"

"You're the king of this castle, aren't you? You always have permission."

"I may be the king of this castle, but this still remains my daughter's private room and intruding was never my strong point."

"Yeah... Usually it's the other kingdoms who invade us... From what the handmaidens said."

My father laughed and sat on the bed, "Come here, I wanna speak to you." I did as he asked and sat next to him, "You seemed very sad before, do you want to tell me what's really going on?"

"What do you mean? I think I already explained everything, I feel trapped in this castle. You never authorize me to go and see what's outside for all these years."

"You know why that doesn't happen, don't you?"

"Because you both want me to be a clueless and naive successor who doesn't even know the world? If that's the case, you're doing a great job."

My father laughed again and wrapped his arm around me, "You know there are many dangers out there that we don't want you to find, it's natural for your mother to want to protect you.

"But I wouldn't be alone, I'd take some guards with me."

My father looked down, "Not even our guards would be ready for what's out there."

"Talking like that it even seems like there's a huge dragon ready to invade our kingdom."

Again, my father laughed, he always liked my sarcastic humor, "Listen Lucy, you don't need to live like a prisioner in your own house, we don't want that either. Not even your mother, believe it or not." he smiled, "But we just want you to be safe, you know what... happened to your..."

"Sister... Yeah, I know. The handmaidens told me."

"Ever since that day, we're afraid that something might happen to you too... We don't want to lose another child... Not again..." my father looked down and tried to hold the tears, "So, please, be patient. The day when you can go out there will soon arrive, just hold on a little longer and be patient with your mother... She's devastated when she sees you like that."

"Right... I'll do my best." I smiled.

After that, he hugged and went to the door. He stopped and looked at me one last time before leaving, "We love you, I hope you know that."

I didn't have the courage to continue that conversation after that. The story about my sister. Well, the sister I never got to meet. She mysteriously disappeared one day, after she went outside the castle and our kingdom was invaded by some weird creatures. My parents think she was killed by one of them or even kidnapped and killed by their master somewhere, but no one is really sure since no one saw my sister that day. She simply disappeared in the middle of the battle. My parents were devastated after that day and my mother was afraid of even thinking about having more children, worried that something could happen to them as well. A few years later, I was born.

The only thing I could do was go back to my little desk in front of the window and look outside for a few minutes. The night sky was beautiful and I could see tons of stars, it wasn't a night to be thinking about sad things, especially when the next day was coming. It was my birthday and the coronation day. I was turning 18 and I was finally receiving my official title as Princess of Magnolia and ready to succeed the throne one day. I'd spent the whole preparing myself for this, I couldn't wait to check out my suitors. I just hope they're not all old and ugly! I looked at the moon and I couldn't think about anything else. I just wished that I could look at it every night from all different places of the world one day.


	2. The Coronation

That dream again. Almost evey night I'd dream with something that I couldn't understand or explain. It was such a strange dream… I could only remember running, with no destination, not sure if running away from something or to get to somewhere. What I knew is that I wasn't alone. There was always someone with me in that dream, even if I couldn't see who. For the posture and body, I could understand that it was a boy, but his face… I couldn't see it, so I figured it was someone who I didn't know. The boy was running with me, he was holding my hand and didn't say a word, we were just running. After that, we reached a very big door with with weird writings that I couldn't read, it looked like a weird and foreign language.

Then, my dream ends. I can't remember more, even though I know that the dream doesn't end like that. There had to be something more, but I just couldn't remember. Well, I didn't try very hard either 'cause today was a very special day. My birthday! I was so happy! The first thing I did when I woke up was screaming "GOOD MORNING!" from my window, not even caring if anyone on the streets heard it 'cause I was feeling great! Nothing could ruin that!

 ** _Knock knock_**

"Miss Lucy, your mother…"

"I know, I know! I think I already know what she wants, tell her that I'll be ready in a few minutes."

I had already picked the perfect dress for my birthday. My mother had asked a few days ago for my handmaiden to go get it so I could try it and it looks beautiful on me. I'd always think about the day when I could finally wear it, it was a shame that we didn't have many mirrors in our throne room so I could see myself wearing it all day. It was beautiful, it was white, long, and it had a certain pattern that looked like roses. I couldn't have chosen a better dress! I styled my hair in a bun, leaving a few strands down my face. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn't even believe it… I was feeling great, just like a princess, even if it was a princess who had to stay indoors. Today I just didn't care about that, everything would be perfect.

* * *

"My goodness… Look at you!" my mom was already waiting for me downstairs and she couldn't keep her eyes away, "You are wonderful, I don't even know what to say, you are truly a beautiful princess and I'm so proud."

"My god, I still haven't even received the crown and you're already crying? I'm gonna have to be more careful with you."

"Your mother is right, no one can deny it.", my dad showed up next to her, "Today is a special day for you, no one would ever think that you wouldn't dress to impress."

A guard approached my parents. "Your Highness, all the guests have arrived, they're all ready for the ceremony."

"Very well, tell everyone that I'll be there in a minute." the guard nodded and went straight into the throne room, "Come, my dear, it's time for you to become a real princess."

I grabbed my father's hand and my heart stopped. I still couldn't believe it. I couldn't wait to receive the crown that I hoped for so long and finally being able to have a little more control over my life. I just wanted the day when I could go outsider to finally come. I was getting anxious. The best part of the ceremony will be my suitors, I can't wait to see the list of old and ugly men that my father chose for me, it will be a pleasure to refuse all of them.

When my father opened the door to the throne room, I couldn't stop staring at all the guests that were there. Kings from other kingdoms, their children and their most trusted counselors, some of their personal guards and some of my father's friends who came from far away to congratulate me. Having all their eyes on me was making me nervous… I tried not to think about it. When my mother grabbed my hand and my father was waiting for me next to the throne with the crown in his hands, I shivered. There it was… my freedom, I could feel it.

My mother got close to me and said, "Go on… Become the most beautiful princess that this kingdom has ever seen."

"I wouldn't need to become a princess to be the most beautiful person of this kingdom."

My mother looked at me with a severe look, she could hardly take a joke, but she still smiled a bit and kissed my cheek. I walked straight to my father after that, who was already looking at me with a wide smile.

"We're all gathered here today to witness the coronation of my daughter, Lucy, who will become, with all the respect and love that she deserves, the princess of our kingdom." he looked at me as I sat on the throne, raising the crown and placed it on my head, "I presente to you, Lucy Heartfilia, Princess of Magnolia!" Everyone applauded and I couldn't help but smile, I was so happy. "Congratulations, my dear!

* * *

After the ceremony, it was time to welcome my suitors. Well… welcome the men who _**thought**_ that they could bem my suitors, but I knew damn well that there would be none that would make me look at him for more than two minutes. Everytime I looked at some of the portraits of the previous kings, I couldn't understand how most of the queens in my family were able to marry them. Minutes passed and more and more men came to try their luck with me, failling miserably. Until… something caught my attention. I couldn't even believe if I was seeing it right… A boy, who looked like my age or just a bit older, was standing in front of me.

He had black hair and a beautiful face. He was dressed in a very elegant black suit from head to toe, with matching boots. He had a knee-lenght white coat that made him look majestic. I couldn't think of anything else as soon as I looked at him, I could not believe that this boy was really here to be my suitor.

"Good evening, princess. From your look, I see that was able to get your attention." he smiled, it was one of the most beautiful smiles that I'd ever seen.

"Well… Yes, I was looking at your clothes, I'd like to know who's the speacialist that works on that. About you… I think I've seen better." I tried to look as uninterested as possible, I didn't want him to realize how much he amazed me.

"Well, in that case, I believe there's nothing else for me to do here." he smiled, "I'll take my leave."

"Hmm, w- wait!" he stopped and turned around, staring at me again with those piercing eyes, "I think you could at least stay for dinner at the banquet after the ceremony. You know… for courtesy."

"It will be my pleasure, princess." he smiled and winked. I completely hated the feeling it aroused in me, right after he called me that.

* * *

The banquet that followed was not much different from all the dinners my father had whenever his friends from other lands came to visit. The table was always full with the best food and the best wine, and of course, the best company. This time, the best kings of all the neighboring kingdoms were present, celebrating and telling all the stories they had to share about their adventures and battles they had fought for many years. They were really fascinating, but I could not stop wondering where the other boy was. Not that I minded, of course, but he could've at least congratulate me for the coronation.

Everyone stopped for a moment as soon as the musicians arrived. I loved this part of the banquets, I love listening to the music they play. Songs about my kingdom and also about all the heroes of the stories that the maids told me, of all the adventurous women who did not listen to their husbands and managed to do everything they wanted, was a dream that I also wanted for myself. The song chosen this time was beautiful, as always, I closed my eyes to feel better and sang with some of the guests. I was completely happy until I felt someone touching my shoulder.

"Hello again, princess." again, smiling, "I did not want to bother you, seeing as you were so enchanted by this song, but there's something I'd like to tell you."

"If you're going to say that I'm the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, you do not have to because I already know that."

He laughed, I did not think it was so easy to make that happen. "Even though I agree with that, that's not exactly what I wanted to tell you ... I'd like to invite you for a walk."

"I'm sorry, but maybe you don't know yet ... I'm not exactly authorized to leave this castle, unless you want to have the king mad at you."

"Don't, I know that." he winked, "I'm a well-informed man. I wanted to invite you to walk through the castle's courtyard. Do you accept?"

I stood there for a moment, looking at the musicians, trying my best not to look the boy in the eyes. "I thought that a well-informed man would know about different ways of hitting on a woman. Don't you consider the "walk" trick a little bit too old?"

"I know. That's why I know it never fails." he smiled, "Just as I know that you want to accept."

I sighed. "You think you're very charming, don't you?" I looked at him and immediately regretted it. He smiled again with those piercing eyes that pulled me toward him, but I tried not to look too interested. "Okay, I'll take a walk with you, just so I don't have to feel sorry for you. I do not want to see any boy walking sadly through the corridors of this castle, imagine how bothersome that would be for me."

He smiled and gave me his arm. I've always heard about walks like this, the boys ask the girl to walk around the gardens and say beautiful words to charm her and get the instant jump to the wedding. I knew better than that, I was not going to let a guy tell me everything I wanted to hear 'cause I would not jump right into his arms. My mother always told me that my temperament towards men would make me single forever, but I've always seen it as a form of defense. Letting a man into your head only brings disgrace and misery.

The courtyard that the boy chose was a surprise, it was my favorite, but I was not going to let him know that. It was one of the courtyards of the castle that had a balcony, where we were now, where you could see the sea in the horizon after a huge garden that gave access to our castle. I always wondered what it felt like to be by the sea, I could only see it from that balcony. I could almost feel the boy's gaze on me as I stared at everything I could not touch

"I hope you're not staring at me with weird thoughts."

"Not at all, I wouldn't disrespect a woman like you in that way."

I looked at him and raised my eyebrow, "And what kind of woman do you think I am? You don't even know me."

"I know what the people of this kingdom say."

"Then you do not know anything." I smile, "All the people in this castle think I'm crazy for wanting to get out of here. They think I have stupid thoughts, that I want to go outside to be killed by some kind of creature. They are nothing but idiots who know nothing about what I think."

"Have you thought that maybe they might care for you?"

"Ugh, please, they only care about the gold my father gives them after they do their job."

"Since you will be the successor, doesn't that mean that they are also worried about making a good impression for you?"

I had to admit, the boy knew how to respond to my sarcasm and I liked it. "I suppose you're right… What about you? Tell me about you."

"Me? I have nothing interesting about me to actually tell. Besides, it's not like you're very interested."

"What do you mean? I just aske-"

He smirked at me and I finally realized what he meant. "If I remember correctly, you told me that the only thing that interested you was my outfit... I do not think that my personality matches your liking."

"Okay... I'll admit, I was a little bit cruel to you at the ceremony, but can you blame me? I was sick of seeing so many men in front of me, thank god that at least you were the last one to save me."

"You mean I was something you liked to see?"

I looked at him with wide eyes, "Can you stop twisting everything I say? I could never find anyone in this castle who could handle sarcasm as well as I do."

"So, that means you like that about me too." he smirked again.

"Yes! I mean, no! UGH! Can you stop that?" he laughed and I could not help but laugh as well. I was really enjoying this guy's mood. At least there was something to distract me from bad things. "Listen... I don't think you're a bad guy, but you still haven't told me your name."

"Gray, my name is Gray."


	3. Invasion

Gray, good name. It had a certain elegant touch that caught me in a way that I hated to admit. He didn't even bother to say his last name, but I also didn't think it was too importante, at least for now. There was something about this guy that fascinated me and it was not just his looks, I had to try to get some more information about him.

"So... is that all? Gray? No useful information that would make me fall on your feet just like that?"

"I thought you didn't want me to be so obvious."

"You're right... Well, I guess that's fine by now."

I began to hear a sound suddenly coming from the throne room. The musicians had started playing a ballad... What a horrible moment for that! It was one of my favorite songs and I wanted to know more about this guy, but the desire to go back to the room was so big that I did not know what to do and I started getting restless.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes... It's just... I love this song." I answered sadly.

"And is that a problem?" he asked confused.

"No... You'll think I'm an idiot, but every time they play that, I feel like dancing and I always do that in a corner of the throne room so no one can see."

"Are you ashamed of someone watching you dance?"

"That's not it... It's just a vulnerable moment for me, the music gives me a feeling of freedom that I've never felt inside this castle. It makes me feel alive somehow and dancing is the only way to express it, but no one knows that."

He looked at me, inspecting every trace of me and suddenly stretched out his hand, "Come on, dance with me."

"What do you mean? I've never danced with anyone! I'll probably end up stepping on your feet and I think that would be an even bigger shame."

"Do not worry." he smiled, "I'm wearing "step-proof" boots."

I stared at him angrily for making fun of me, but I had to admit that his mood was picking at me more and more. Without further protest, I took his hand. "All right, I accept your invitation, but do not complain if I end up hurting you."

As soon as I gave him my hand, I stopped thinking. I was super nervous, something that had never happened near other boys who had visited the castle before. Something about this guy made my heart race faster and I barely knew him. It could not be love at first sight as they usually say because I was far from loving him, but his way made me question more and more about him, about where he came from, what his kingdom was, who his family was, and whether they were present at the coronation ceremony. It's not like he knows too much about me either, but curiosity was killing me.

The dance was a mess at the beginning, but then I started getting the hang of it. We danced and wandered for minutes, he never took his eyes off me and almost made me blush with it. His eyes were deep and every time I looked at him, he seemed to pull me. I could not stand this silence any longer.

"So... where did you learn to dance like that? As far as I know, only the nobles know how to dance so well and something tells me that you had a very good teacher."

"I suppose you can say that... As for the nobles thing... I think you'll have to find out for yourself." he smiled.

"You're a real pain, aren't you?"

"I think you'll have to wait and see that, too."

"Seriously, tell me at least where you're from. Who's your family?"

"I think that's two questions already. Well, I'm from a kingdom near here ... Since you've never left the castle, I do not think that by saying the name, you'd know exactly where it is."

"Can you stop mocking me and just answer?"

"I don't think so... I'm enjoying seeing you angry." he smiled and my heart stopped after that, he was trying to tease me.

"You better be careful, all this mystery is causing me to start mistrusting you. You might end up being a spy."

He gently smiled, but there was something in his eyes that changed. "The time to tell you everything about me will come, do not worry. For now, let's just enjoy the rest of the song. Try not to step on me again."

I could not help but smile. We kept dancing the rest of the night and it was starting to get late, soon my father would start looking for me. I stopped dancing and looked at him with a smile.

"I think I'd better stop for now, I'm sure my father is already walking around the castle looking for me."

"I hope he knows you're in good hands."

"Yes..." I looked into his eyes, finally having the courage, "I think I am."

We spent a long time looking at each other. I didn't know what to do after that, whether if I should say anything, or whether I should just leave the courtyard and go back into the castle. He was looking at me with such a hard expression, as if he were glazed on me, but at the same time as if something was wrong. I really could not figure out this guy, no matter how hard I tried.

"You are beautiful."

It was all he said in those sweltering minutes and made it all worse. At that moment, something in my chest seemed to tighten and I did not know what to say. I was not believing what was happening, it was not what I had planned for this day. I always told myself I was not going to let any guy get close to me and make me feel something for him, but it was getting difficult. He knew how to make me laugh, how to respond right when I tried to make fun of him. It's almost as if he's the person I've needed all these years that I've been stuck in the castle. It's almost like it's my other half that I needed to meet. My thoughts were getting weird.

"Thank you, you too." that's all I could say.

I did not believe what was happening next. He lifted his hand and laid it on my face, stroking my hair so softly that I could almost fall asleep at his touch. I paralyzed completely at this point, I had no reaction. I was never present in a situation like this. I knew I should walk away before it was too late, but I could not. I was still paralyzed and enchanted by his look, I just wanted to be there with him and talk more and more. Suddenly, my body shivered as I noticed him leaning forward. I knew what was going on, but again, my body could not move. He was getting closer, but to my surprise something caught my eye on the horizon. I could not see well, but it looked lik a red light and I could not help but stare ati t. He noticed my confused expression and stopped.

"Are you alright?"

"What is that?"

He turned his face and looked the same way I did. I still did not realize what the hell I was seeing, but it was getting closer and closer to the castle. It was coming toward us, but I had no idea what it was. Suddenly, I heard an explosion on the other side of the castle and everything shuddered. I only had time to step away from him and run to the other side of the courtyard to realize what the hell had happened. As soon as I looked, I only saw one thing... fire. I started to get even more confused and in panic. Not even looking at Gray again, I ran to the castle toward the throne room, hoping to find my parents.

"Hey, wait! Lucy, stay here!" Gray tried to call me, but my instincts were speaking louder.

* * *

I kept running and running until I reached the throne room, all the guests were on alert and with their swords in hand and I did not know what was happening. I looked at all the people in the room, trying to find my parents. I had no idea where they were and I was too nervous. I ran to one of our guards. "My parents! Where are my parents?!"

"Miss Lucy, please hurry to your room and protect yourself! We'll take care of this!"

"I'm not going to my room without knowing where my parents are!" I grabbed his arm, "Please tell me where they are."

"Virgo! Take Lucy to her room and protect the princess!"

I felt two arms grabbing me, Virgo, one of my maids was trying to get me off the guard and I tried to fight it, but for some reason she was much stronger than I had ever imagined and could not understand how. "Let me go! I want to know where my parents are! I demand to know!"

"Your parents are trying to fight this! Stop being stubborn and come now!"

"Fight?! My parents? What do you mean by that?! Why are they fighting?"

She did not respond and kept dragging me to my room and I was powerless to fight. As soon as we arrived, she opened the door and practically threw me in, closing it and I still tried to reach it on time, but I couldn't. "Open the door, Virgo! Open the door immediately, you can't leave me here!"

After that, I had an idea... the window! I could see everything from the window and try to make a rope with my mattress to escape if my parents needed help. I did not know how to fight, but I just wanted my parents to be safe and if I had to help them, then I would go there. I looked out and my eyes did not even want to believe what I was seeing… My kingdom was being destroyed. People's homes were on fire, much like most of the city.

"Dad! Mom!" I tried to call for them, but I there was no answer. There was only one thing to do, I had to leave this room. I took all the mattress I found and put them together. It was not the most perfect thing in the world, but it could handle me until I was down there completely. As I went down I felt something shudder and I realized something had been thrown close to me. They were firing something that looked like fireballs, but they were blue and that was very strange. I tried to get down as fast as possible because they were firing even more against my tower and I did not want to know what would happen if one of them hit me. Fortunately, I landed safely and ran in the middle of the garden, trying to find my parents. I screamed for them in every corner, never hearing an answer. As soon as I reached the entrance to the castle, my eyes opened, all the guards and guests were fighting against creatures I had never seen and they were horrible. They looked like monsters, the ones I'd only seen in drawings in the books I found in the library. I paralyzed and at that moment, one of the creatures looked in my direction and approached. I could not move and luckily one of the guards stood in front of me and struck the creature, who disappeared in an instant.

"Princess, what are you doing here? Run to the castle!"

"Don't even think about it, where are my parents?!"

"It's not the time to be yelling at me, go away, you can not be here." something hit him in the back and he fell to the ground. It was one of the creatures, now looking at me.

I tried to escape, I tried to look for something that would help me defend myself against the creature, but I was completely alone. Suddenly I saw a very bright light next to me that hit the creature. I looked back and saw Virgo, her arms stretched forward and breathing heavily.

"You're really stubborn, aren't you? How did you leave the room?"

"Do you think I'm that dumb?"

"No time for your sarcasm, come with me!" she grabbed my hand but I protested again.

"I'm not leaving without knowing where my parents are! Is anyone listening to me?"

She grabbed my arm and leaned in close to my face. "Listen, Lucy, you may be the princess and someday my queen, but if anything happens to you this kingdom is lost and the king would never forgive me. So please, do as I say."

I looked at her and had never seen her so serious and worried. I didn't dare protest again and when I was about to run, something exploded next to us and suddenly everything went black. I fell to the ground and my head hurt too much. As soon as I got to see better around me, someone was approaching us, but I could not see who. I looked around and saw Virgo lying on the floor, not moving.

"Virgo! Wake up! We have to run!" I tried to call for her, but she still didn't move.

"Well, well... Look what we have here."

I looked up and saw a woman in front of me. I had never seen her before, and something told me that she was not exactly an ally or part of my father's guests. She had white hair, blue marks on her face that seemed to attach to some kind of horns with a pattern that I had never seen. Her eyes were bright and glowing, it was almost scary. Her clothes were strange, I had never seen anyone wear anything similar in this realm, it just covered her chest and belly, with matching blue boots that went up to her knees and had thorns sticking out of the sides. It was really scary and I had no idea who she was or what she wanted, but she kept her eyes on me.

"What is it? Are you scared of me? Don't worry, I'll separate your head from your body in an instant, you won't feel anything."

"Who are you?" I found the courage to ask. I was still stunned by the explosion, but tried to get up again.

"What a stupid question, why do you want to know if you're going to end up dead?" she laughed. It was a loud, penetrating laugh, with such malice in her voice. "Well, enough talk, I think it's time to say goodbye."

She raised her arm and was about to do something when I felt something move next to me and saw Virgo raising her arms and throwing a ray of light against the woman, who folded her arms against her face, trying to protect it and screaming. Virgo took my arm immediately and started to run away. I don't know how long we ran, but I know that the more we went further into the castle, what I saw seemed like a nightmare. All the guards of the castle were fighting against the same creatures as before, and many were already lying on the ground, blood was everywhere and I did not know what to do. Virgo stopped suddenly and looked into the throne room, which for some reason, had a great dark hole under the throne.

"It can't be..." Virgo said quietly, as if speaking to herself. She pulled me into the room and as we approached the throne, I realized that the hole was a passage, which in all the years I lived here had never encountered or even imagined that it existed. I was so confused that I did not even have time to ask where it led to before Virgo raised her hand to me

"Lucy, you stay here while I go down there. Hide yourself and don't leave, please."

"No way! I'm going with you and I still don't know where my parents are!"

"Your paren-! …Your parents are in there…" she lowered her eyes, "Please, promise me… that you'll stay here."

I didn't know what to answer, but I didn't have much time as she ran into the passage. I had no idea about what was going on, ever since the moment I saw that strange light on the horizon while I was with Gray… Gray! I had not seen him since I ran out of the yard!

I didn't know what to do... I was afraid that something had happened to Gray, but... I did not want to take the risk of finding any of those creatures if I went looking for him. Besides, Virgo made me promise not to leave... and my parents... What the hell were they doing inside that place? I had never seen any of this, I had never even heard anyone speak about a passage under the throne, much less what was inside of it. I stopped my thoughts as soon as I heard a scream, it was my father! Something was happening! I could not stop my body and acted on impulse, I ran straight into the passage.

* * *

Nothing inside seemed real... Apart from being all dark, there were several forms that looked like lights flying around me and gave me goose bumps. As I walked further in, I seemed to be able to hear voices... calling for me... I could not understand what they were saying, but every word made me even more frightened. One of the forms of light, which looked like a spirit, passed through me and something in my chest pressed, without knowing why. It was as if something in that had tried to make contact with me, but I tried not to give it too much importance because something told me that I should not know, much less being in here. I ran as fast as I could toward my father's cries, and as soon as I reached an enormous room with an giant chest in the middle, I noticed Virgo lying on the floor and my parents. My mother was being grabbed by two men I did not know and my father was trapped by several strands of black light that seemed to be the work of the blue-haired man in front of him. I tried to call for him, but as soon as my father noticed my presence, he went pale, and something told me that he did not expect to find me here.

"Lucy, get out of here! You can't be here!"

The man in front of him turned around and noticed me, "Well, look what we have here... I did not intente to take the princess with me too…" he looked at my father and smiled, "I thought your guards were more better than this... It seems like today is my lucky day."

I had no idea what he was talking about... "Take"? He was planning to take my parents away. I did not know who that man was, but everything about him fascinated me in a frightening way. His blue hair gleamed with the reflection of his magic, his face had a kind of mark I had never seen and his clothes... black like the chains that now gripped my father. I was out of reaction and did not know if I was going to flee or try to save my parents, but what I knew was that this was not the time to hesitate, but as soon as I tried to run to my mother, something passed by me in a blink. Ice... I looked back and saw Gray at the door of that room, with a serious look.

"Stop it, Jellal."


	4. An Unknown Shadow

**Author's Notes:** First of all, thank you all for the feedback so far! I've received some reviews here and in my other website asking if this was a story about Lucy and Gray as a couple... It's not! As you can see in the story's filters, the main couple is still going to be Natsu and Lucy. Gray and Lucy's relationship is gonna take another turn that you'll find out later, I just wanted to give their dynamic a little introduction in the story and apparently got some of you confused, sorry about that! Haha, anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and here's another chapter! I know it's short but bear with me, there's another one already being written for tomorrow!

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I didn't want to believe what I was seeing... Gray was safe and using... magic? I had no idea that he possessed magic; in fact, I had no idea who he really was or what kingdom he belonged to, not even who his family might be. He was sure to keep it all a secret and for a reason. As soon as he looked at me, I had no reaction, I didn't know if I should run to him, I didn't know if he was protecting me, or if he was with the blue haired man and was simply protecting me out of courtesy. I could not say a single word, I just stared at him like it was the first time.

"Really, Gray? Protecting the girl? I didn't know that you still had a weak spot for blondes."

"Leave her alone, she's not part of the plan."

Plan? So he was definitely with that man. Part of me thought I was an idiot, for trusting the first man who was the least nice to me and asked me for a stupid walk, who offered me a dance and still made me fall through his gaze. I can't believe I could be so stupid at this point, I always thought that all my strategies to protect myself from men were infallible and I was able to lose all my defenses on a single night. I felt like an idiot, I did not know what to think or what to do. I looked back and saw my father again, trapped by those strange black currents that I could not explain, and further down was Virgo still lying on the floor, not moving. I had no choice but to look into Gray's eyes one more time and ask.

"What the hell is going on here? Who are you and why are you with that man? Tell him to let go of my father immediately!"

He looked at me without response, not even an expression that told me that all this was a lie and that he was just trying to fool the blue-haired man and that he would help me out of there and that none of this was happening. None of that happened, he just looked at me with eyes that seemed to say "sorry" and nothing else. I heard a chuckle behind me.

"Did you really get the girl to fall for you, Gray? It seems that she still believes that you're on her side." He laughed again, "Very well... in that case, why don't we take her too? This castle must be too lonely for a girl alone."

"We're not going to do any of that, we just take what we need. There are no more distractions, we already took long enough and the master does not like to wait more than necessary."

"Always so boring, Gray... I just wanted a little extra company on the way back... Of course, you could do whatever you wanted with her after, maybe sending her to the wolves would be a good idea, so you wouldn't have anything to worry about."

My body shivered and I heard a moan coming from my father. He was trying to move to get rid of those chains, but with no success. It seemed that the more he moved, the more he got stuck and I was starting to run out of options... I could not see my parents in that state and I could not believe what was happening... I did not even know who I could trust anymore, I didn't know who Gray was, I didn't know the man in front of me, not even the woman I met outside, who cut my breath with every step she took."

"Can you stop moving? It's useless, my chains are not so easy to break... not even for a king."

"You will not take my daughter!"

"Don't be selfish, everyone has the right to meet a princess, don't you think? She will love the new environment in our castle. It's much more... cozy." he smiled at me and I just wanted to get away.

"Jellal, enough! Ask them where the stone is." Gray demanded.

Stone? What stone was he talking about? Every word they said still confused me more, it seemed that everyone knew what was happening, except me, as if all these years I had lived in this castle without even knowing what was happening inside or outside of it. I felt completely empty and strange, none of it made sense and I even wished to wake up, I wished that all was just a nightmare and when I woke up I would see my parents safe and all my maids reading me the books that I liked so much. None of that could be real, I was dreaming... As soon as I woke up, everything would go back to normal. I felt something close to me, touching my arm and suddenly I awoke from my thoughts and backed away from that dark presence.

"Hey, little princess, wake up! If your parents do not cooperate, you are next."

"Do not touch my daughter! Argh-!" the chains around my father tightened even more, I tried to run to reach him but I knew that as soon as I did, that man could hurt him even more. I looked at my mother and she did not even have any reaction, it seemed like she just wanted it to be over and fast, just like me.

"Where... is... the stone?" the man leaned close to my father.

"You will never find it!"

"I said... where is... the stone?" he closed his hand and tightened the chains, if he had continued, my father would probably not be able to move anymore.

"Enough! We don't know where it is!" my mother finally managed to protest.

"That's not what it seemed to me, my queen... Your precious king here knows exactly where it is, he hid it after the great battle... So, tell me... where is it?" he looked at me and grinned, "Maybe your daughter will be more cooperative... I have never known any king who would sacrifice his own daughter's life, but it seems she will- "

"No! She has nothing to do with this! She doesn't know anything!" my father still tried to find the strength to fight back.

As soon as I heard my father's words, reality fell on me. I really did not know anything, not that story about a stone, nor who these people were, nor anything! I was completely in the dark, if this man involved me in his chains, it would not change anything, I already felt trapped in a world where I was merely a pawn and everyone around me knew everything while I knew nothing.

"I'm being rather mild. If our master was here, he probably would not even spare the princess's life and still force you to watch. So... be a good king and tell me where you hid the stone." my father tried to answer, but something stopped him and he screamed, as if something invisible had struck him in the chest,"Well ... I wish things had been different... " he looked in my direction, "Now, will you be more cooperative than your miserable parents?"

He walked towards me and I wasn't sure what to do. Should I run? Should I let him come to me and end it all? I really wanted to help my parents and Virgo, but what could I do? I did not know how to fight, I did not know what to do to free my parents, I did not even know what they were talking about or even the location of the stone they wanted. The blue-haired man was about to reach me, I could almost feel the vibration of his steps louder and closer... I felt a breeze at my feet and suddenly it seemed that everything was starting to get dark, I could feel the same gloomy presence I'd felt a few minutes ago and my body was out of reaction, it was almost like a hypnotization. I knew that this was the power of that man, even though my body was pratically frozen, my mind was still able to think, and I knew perfectly well that it was some kind of spell that would make people stop thinking, lose their souls and become empty, but for some reason, I was still able to resist and I was sure I could still move my body if I knew what decision to take next. Suddenly I felt another presence next to me, but this time it was cold. In the blink of an eye, a transparent, icy barrier appeared before my eyes. The ray of ice that passed me before crossed my memory and I remembered that it was from Gray. He came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"The girl is not our problem, she was not part of the plan. She probably doesn't even know anything."

"Gray... please, let me work." the man looked at him with an angry look.

"Like I said... the girl was not included in your job. We must return immediately and inform our master that we already have what we were interested in, he will know what to do with them."

The blue-haired man looked at my parents and what I feared the most was happening, they were about to take my parents away from me "Hmm, you're right. If they do not tell us what we want to know, the master will have the information he needs in his own way." he went back to my parents and involved my mother in the same type of chain that my father had. "I tried... but you're too stubborn to listen." he smiled wickedly and casted a kind of spell on my parents that before they could scream at me or say anything, they fell asleep completely. "Let's go! Gray, move, we have nothing left to deal with here."

As soon as my senses returned to normal and I finally realized the reality before my eyes and what was really happening, I quickly brushed Gray's hand off my shoulder and tried to run to reach my parents, but the only thing I felt after that was Gray's hand again grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. I tried to push him away, trying not to even give him a chance to stop me, but he was too strong and the more I tried to let go, I was running out of strength. I just wanted to cry, I just wanted everything to be like before and wished that everything was... a mere... nightmare.

The blue-haired man, who was apparently called Jellal, turned back toward us and made a bored expression. "Seriously, Gray? You can't even control a little girl? Hurry up with that before I lose my temper and deal with it myself!"

"Lucy! Lucy, stop!" he pulled my arm harder and my strength disappeared, I could not escape.

"Leave me alone! I will not let you take my parents, I will not!" I fought as hard as I could, trying to hit him in the chest and deflect my arms so he would finally let me go, but he pulled me one last time close to him and whispered.

"You can't do anything!" I stopped, looked at him, not knowing what to do. "The only thing you can do now is trust me... Believe me, I never wanted this to happen." I grew more and more confused and tears came to my eyes. He seemed to realize my state of helplessness and opened my hand, "Listen well... when it all calms down... Look for a boy... he's a sorcerer and is said to be living somewhere in the mountains now. I know it's not much information, but when you think you've found him, give this to him..." he put a sort of pendant on the palm of my hand. It was a transparent snowflake pendant, and I had no idea what it was for or why I should show it to the boy he mention, but I couldn't do anything more but listen to it at the moment. "The rest... will depend on you."

I tried to ask him more, I did not even know if his name was really Gray, or if all that information was real or just an attempt to keep me from going after my parents and taking them. Jellal's voice echoed again in the room and Gray only had time to look me in the eyes as if apologizing again, leaving that pendant in my hands, completely lost. I stood for a moment watching him walk away and Jellal opened a black portal with one hand and something told me that this was their exit, and that as soon as they passed that portal, my parents would disappear and nothing would guarantee me that I would ever see them again. I would be completely alone with no one to tell me how to save them or where they would even be going. My body seemed to act on impulse and I started running towards them.

"No! Stop!" I ran and ran, suddenly my body seemed to gain energy again, as if my desire to save my parents had spoken louder than the impotence I was feeling inside. I tried to reach my parents, but the only thing I could feel was a heat rising in the palm of my hand and suddenly a huge beam of light struck the guards who were next to the passage. I covered my eyes from the light, and as soon as I could see again, most of the guards were on the ground, stunned and only Jellal and Gray were intact, both with protective shields in front of them like the one Gray had created to protect me before. Jellal's eyes glared at me.

"Enough! I've wasted enough time with you, brat! " he stretched out his hand toward me and I just stood there with wide eyes, there was nothing more to do.

"Jellal, stop!" Gray grabbed Jellal's arm and luckily, the black orb that was supposed to hit me, went the other way and I just had time to look at Gray, as if asking for help in what to do next. "Lucy, run!"

I did not think twice and ran. I did not know where to. I could go to my room, where I would try to hide from all this or out of the castle, where I would not survive for a minute, even if I wanted because I had no idea what was in store for me. As I ran to the door, I looked to the floor and saw Virgo, I could not leave her here. Fortunately, thanks to Gray, who was now in a dispute with Jellal to give me some time to escape, I managed to reach Virgo, who was slowly regaining consciousness and tried to ask me what was going on, but I didn't have time to explain. I wrapped her arm around me and tried to transport her out of that room, back to the throne room, back to the castle, where I hoped it was all quiet and back to normal.


	5. A New Journey

**Author's Notes:** Here it is! This is my longest chapter so far... I'm sorry that I couldn't upload it sooner but it's finally here! Some of you were probably hoping for a certain character to finally show up and here it is. I hope you enjoy it!

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I ran until my legs couldn't handle it anymore. Virgo had gained her senses and I managed to have some of her help as we fled. I did not know where to go, I did not know if the castle was still in the state that was in before. I did not want to find my house destroyed and my guards on the ground, knowing that they would never be at my father's side again. My father... I tried not to think about it anymore, every time I remembered what had happened in that room, the tears came to my eyes and I knew I would not be able to contain them. As soon as we reached the main hall of the castle, everything was silent... too silent.

"Lu-Lucy... Wait here... I'll go see if it's okay."

"No! Virgo, you are wounded and you have not recovered yet."

"Let it go, what matters now is to make sure that this castle and the people are safe."

I could not stop her and she paced down the hall, past the front door to check how things were out there in the village and the entrance of the castle where everyone was fighting for its protection. I was alone in the hallway and could not contain myself anymore. The tears came down my eyes and I was feeling completely lost and alone. There was no one who could tell me what was happening and why. There was no one who probably knew where they had taken my parents or how to get there to save them. I had no idea, there was no one. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I did not even realize that Virgo had returned, and as soon as she noticed my condition, she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Lucy... Come on... It's all right now, the guards managed to defeat most of the creatures. Come to your room, let's decide what to do after resting."

"My parents... Virgo, my parents!" I cried and cried, could not control myself, "They're gone! They're not here anymore!"

"I know... but stand firm, no one takes the King and Queen of Magnolia and gets away with it."

I knew she was trying to cheer me up, trying to give me some hope, but I knew that neither she nor I had any clue or chance of getting my parents back, it was like a lost cause and I I felt powerless again. I don't know what happened inside that room that made me run to my parents, thinking that I could save them from that man, but all that power I felt inside was gone and I felt lost again.

Virgo knew there was nothing she could say at that moment to calm me down, so she grabbed my arms and lifted me. We walked slowly to my room and as we entered, she tried to settle me as gently as possible on the bed, hoping that I would lie down on my own and try to fall asleep to forget everything that had happened. I just couldn't.

"Stay here... The kitchen and some back rooms of the castle were not affected by the invasion, I'll see if I can find something to calm you down..." she went to the door, "And please, this time do not leave."

I was surprised she thought I still had enough courage or energy to get out of that room. Where would I go? This castle was all I knew and the only place where I lived my whole life, I had nowhere else to run. All I wanted was for my parents to be well and for everything to have been a nightmare, to close my eyes and wish that everything was normal. I got up and the only thing I could do was go to the window. I looked outside and I had never seen anything like that. The whole village was practically destroyed, most of the houses had burned down and there were not many of them left, the stables destroyed, and perhaps most of the horses had escaped... The families all together, crying, desperate and not knowing where to go or what to do in that horrible situation. I stood before my own kingdom and had no way of fixing anything, of telling people that everything would be all right, I did not even know how to give them a new home. I knew that it was not possible to welcome everyone inside the castle, but it was the only thing I wanted to do at that moment. I was miserably sad, but I could not imagine how those people were feeling, I knew they were worse than I was and that they needed a king to guide them... they needed my father, just like me.

I heard Virgo come in through the door and bring a mug. I realized there was something inside that would help me sleep, but I was too shocked to fall asleep now. I turned to her and as soon as she noticed the tears in my eyes again, my look of shock, she put the mug on the table and pulled me back to the bed.

"Do not torment yourself any more, Lucy... There is nothing you can do now, let the council deal with the kingdom's problems for now."

"Have we ever had decent council help? It will not be this time that they will do something for us, I heard there was never anyone on that council who really cared about people and the order of the realms. I'd prefer if the council didn't exist instead of ignoring us all the time."

Virgo sighed, "I know there's a lot you do not understand yet, but please... do not blame yourself for any of this... Your parents... they did not want any of this to happen, they thought everything was safe, but it seems like someone got the better of us this time."

"This time?" I looked at her with a confused look.

"Nothing, forget it... We've had enough problems for today." she stood up to grab the mug and held it out to me.

"Where are my parents, Virgo?"

"I already told you not to wor-"

"It's not a request, Virgo. It's an order from your princess, I demand to know who that man was and where he took my parents. I know you know, as you knew of the existence of that passage, and it does not seem to me that many within this castle knew."

"Sometimes I hate that you inherited the stubbornness of your mother and the firmness of your father." she smiled, "Your father made me promise that I would never tell you about the passage or the secrets of this castle, but I think... after what happened today, there is no other possible choice." she paused and I did not take my eyes off her, hoping she would finally clear up everything that was happening in my house, "That passage has been in this castle for years... centuries even, from what I understood... I do not know very well who built it, but the goal was it to be strong enough to keep enemy forces away, so that no one could get in there and steal what was hidden in the box you saw in the middle of the room... "

I remembered that box. It was black and everything in it seemed strange and sinister, I knew there was something about it that was not exactly nice, but none of those men seemed very interested in it, so I realized that either they'd have already taken whatever was inside or whatever they were looking for wasn't there.

"Your father was in charge of protecting this box and what was inside... He was obliged to take an oath to never reveal to anyone the location of the box and what it has there, which is why he could not protect you when they asked him where the stone was."

"Wait, what do you mean? What does the stone have anything to do with the black box?"

"It's what was inside the box... the Soul Stone." I looked at her without blinking, as if I were hearing a myth for the first time. I had no idea that the stone they were looking for was the legendary Soul Stone. I had seen information about it, every time I entered the library without anyone knowing and I read one of the ancient and sacred books that apparently none of my maids had ever read to me for some reason. There were times when not even my mother wanted me to go to the library to snoop around, and maybe there was a good reason... Something told me that that stone should not be known by anyone. I remember all the books I found talking about it saying nothing very special. It only said that it was a stone that contained all the souls of all the most powerful kings that existed in this world, it was basically a stone like the others, but which served as a kind of memory of the kings. I did not realize what was so special, and whenever I tried to find more information about it, most of the pages had disappeared, as if they had been ripped apart... Now, I realize there must be something else I did not know.

"But what is so special about the stone that they had to take my parents in return for its location? Everything I saw about the stone had nothing relevant or valuable."

"How do you know about the… Oh, I suppose every time I saw you up in the corridors during the night, it was not you sneakly getting food from the kitchen..." she smiled a little, "Information about the existence of the stone or what it contains has been lost... All the books that spoke about it were burned, others simply destroyed, and the pages that contained certain secrets about it in this castle were destroyed in the same way. There is no way to find out more about it, the only people who know of the origins of the stone are the ancient sorcerers who belonged to an elite of great warriors that many judge that no longer exists. All the families that had contact with these warriors no longer live among us, for what they say."

"So... does this mean that nobody knows anything about the stone? Has no one in this kingdom ever heard of it?" she shook her head,"No one... except you. How do you know so much about this?"

"I've always been your father's secret counselor and right arm." I stared at her in astonishment. I always thought my father's right arm was one of the guards, but one of my maids? I would never think of it and now that I thought about, it was a great secret strategy. "Your father found me out there when my family disowned me... I had no one and was completely lost in the woods, your father was hunting and he found me there. He asked me if I wanted to belong to your castle and his court, and I told him that I had no experience in those matters, but your father did not leave me. Since then, I have offered your father all the loyalty I have achieved, I tried to do everything... on that day your sister disappeared... Your father noticed that there was someone in this castle who was selling information and was very suspicious. He decided to impose his trust in me as his right arm... I accepted, he trusted me with all the useful information and secrets of this castle and since then I have kept everything with me, he did not want you to even know about this. "

"I had no idea... So, is that all you know about the stone? What was hidden all this time inside this castle, in that box? Don't you know what's so important about it?" she shook her head once more, "So, I guess I have no other choice..." she looked at me with a confused look and I pulled out of my pocket the pendant that Gray had given me before, "This pendant... I have no idea what it is or what it means, but it was Gray who gave it to me." Virgo stared at the object with a startled look, "What is it? Do you know this?"

"I... No, it just seems something very strange and considering it was Gray who gave it to you, it does not seem safe to me..." she reached out for the pendant and I pulled it away, something told me that she knew more about this, but didn't want to say and I was not going to let her get the only clue I had about finding my parents.

"I trust him. It was the last thing he told me before he disappeared... He told me to find a boy, a sorcerer who lives in the mountains and to give him this. Apparently as soon as I do, he will know something and should help me find my parents or give me some clues... " I looked down and stared at my reflection on the pendant, it was so transparent and clear, "I'm going to look for him."

"Don't even think about it, I will not let you do it. Did not you hear anything I said? Your father told me to keep you safe and you know nothing of what is going on out there or the dangers that exist, I can not let you go alone. "

"But you know?" she was silent, "If you know so much what is out there, tell me... I'll know what to do, I'm no longer a child. I've just been crowned princess of this realm, I will not let let a man take my parents and stand still. "

"How are you going to find this boy? You do not know anything about who he is and you're not even sure he lives in the mountains. As far as we know, this may very well be a trap, Gray may have said all this to catch you. How do you know if you can trust him? He was working with that man."

"I just... I just do! This has nothing to do with trusting or not, it's the only thing right now that gives me some hope to find my parents and tell me where they are. It's the only thing I know that can help me save them, it's not about trust or courage, I just want my parents back!"

"Very well... if you want it so much, I have no choice. I go with you, there is no room to protest, you're not going alone looking for anybody. It is my duty to protect you."

I knew I had no chance here, so there was only one thing to do...

"Drink this. I promise that tomorrow we will talk to the guards and everyone to prepare ourselves for whatever this journey offers us, but for now... drink this and rest, tomorrow will be better." she gave me the mug one more time.

"Can I just go to the bathroom and wash myself? It helps me fall asleep and I feel filthy after today." she nodded and I walked into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and took one of the cups from my lavatory with water inside. As soon as I got back into the room, Virgo was still sitting on the bed. "Wait, can you just do me a favor? Can you close my window and the curtains? I'm afraid one of those creatures might still be out there and find its way up here." she got up and walked to the window. I took advantage of that moment to approach the table where the mug was, throwing the liquid that was in there to one of my plants and replace it with the water of my glass.

"Anything else, princess?" she smiled and I smiled back.

"No, it's fine now." I picked up the mug and drank. I knew that whatever Virgo had mixed up inside was something that could get me to sleep through the night and probably until morning of the next day, enough for Virgo to have time to talk to everyone in the castle to help me look for the boy or even try to stop me from doing so. It did not seem to me that any of the guards agreed to let the princess of this castle go outside, given what happened to my sister years ago. I could not take any risks and that's why I had to do this on my own, even if I had no idea how to get away, I had to find out for myself. It could be stupid, I might even end up dead before I could find my parents, but I could not stand still when it came to them and my kingdom, I could not.

Virgo smiled at me one last time and left the room, not realizing anything, fortunately. I waited for her to go down the stairs from the hall and I got up as quickly as possible. I approached the wardrobe and stood there for a few minutes looking into it. All I had at my hands were dresses and none of that would help me if I went into the forest or mountains, it would only get in the way and I did not know how I would go out in this type of clothes. It would only delay me and probably be caught in some kind of trap out there meant for animals or even those creatures.

Until I remembered... a box I had under my bed. It was a box I had been offered when I turned sixteen, a box that belonged to my grandparents, more specifically, it belonged to my grandmother. It was from her young years... from what my father had told me, my grandparents were great adventurers, they knew a lot about the outside world and it was through my grandmother's various stories that I won the dream that one day I could have an adventure like theirs. In the box were many of the things that belonged to her, I admit that some of them were strange and I did not know what they were for, but I knew that most of them were artifacts that she had found and inherited for the family, weapons she used in her adventures and an outfit, or rather, one of several outfits she carried with her. It was particularly strange, and I'd never seen anybody in this realm wear anything like this, considering that women always wore dresses and never a skirt... and boots... and such a revealing top.

It was blue and had a yellow bow on the chest, buttoned to the waist and had a white collar. The skirt was white, there were a few buttons, and there was a kind of bag I was supposed to tie around. Boots were what fascinated me the most... I never thought women could wear them, I always saw men having this privilege. I loved the boots, they made me imagine my grandmother wearing them and being a badass. They were brown and went beyond the knee. There was still a sort of large black glove that covered most of my arm, almost to my shoulder. It was really an adventurous outfit. I dressed it as fast as I could and looked in the mirror, I was... different and I felt good. There was something missing... my hair, I could not walk with my hair loose outside, I could not imagine what would happen in the wind, I would not be able to see anything and be ashamed if I fell into a hole! I don't know anything about what's out there! I had to be prepared for everything. I went to one of my closets and found a blue elastic that fitted perfectly with the suit and tied my hair in a ponytail on the side. I noticed that there was still something that looked like a bracelet inside the box. It was white and I had no idea if it was a simple piece of clothing to complete the outfit or if it had any function, but I decided to stick it on my right wrist and take it with me. I was ready, now I just needed to leave this room and start my journey.

I did the same scheme like last time and I gathered all the clothes from the bed to make a rope, I went down to the entrance of the castle and I looked one last time back to the castle, to all the people who always treated me well during all my life and they never let anything bad happen to me. It was time to give some rest to these people... to Virgo... "Sorry. Thank you for everything." without thinking twice, I ran as fast as I could through the village, not looking at anything to have no regrets and headed toward the forest.

* * *

As soon as I reached the entrance of the forest, I was paralyzed. I should have thought better of this plan, venturing through this place at night did not seem the brightest idea ever. Nice, Lucy! Always so smart... I looked inside and could see nothing, only darkness and second thoughts. I stood there for a few minutes and shook my head to try not to think of anything that would make me turn back. I took a slow step into the forest and continued on my way. There was nothing around me other than trees and plants that I did not know what they were for or if they were poisonous as soon as I touched them. I heard a noise in one of the trees and tried to hide myself, I did not know what kind of dark animal had passed by me, but at that moment I did not want to know. I continued to walk through the trees and heard more and more strange sounds and I was shivering at the sound of each one. I tried to think of a trick my mother taught me when I was little, to sing whenever I was nervous or scared. I would not risk singing loudly in the middle of that forest, I did not want anyone to find me, so I sang the lowest I could to send all those fears away. It worked for a few minutes and I just wanted to hug my mom at that moment, but something caught my attention... a growl.

I wasted no time trying to see what it was and ran as fast as I could. I could feel whatever that presence was chasing me and I was starting to run out of hope, until I saw a kind of cave covered with flowers and plants that could go through a hiding-place if anyone wanted to. I ran in and leaned closer to the wall in the back, hoping that that animal or whatever it was, would not find me. I waited and took a deep breath until I could hear no more noise, fortunately the creature had continued on its way without seeing me. I thought better of my plan and I knew that I would not be able to survive much longer if I continued to explore this place at night. I went outside and grabbed some plants to try to cover the entrance of the cave with its leaves. As soon as I finished, I went back to the cave and leaned back against the wall and tried to close my eyes. I knew it was going to be a long night, I knew I would wake up as soon as I heard more noises, but even then I tried to rest. I closed my eyes, tried to clear my mind and fell asleep for the first time in an unknown place.

* * *

I don't know how many times I woke up at night, but as soon as I opened my eyes I realized it was morning. I had managed to survive my first night out and had to continue my way before Virgo discovered that I had disappeared and broken the promise. I left the cave and inspected the surroundings, it seemed the road was clear. I continued for a few minutes along the forest path, hoping to know how the hell I was going to get to the mountains to find this boy. I continued... and continued... until, I was not believing what was in front of me. A house. Well... sort of like a house. It was a huge tree, but I could see a door in the middle of it and a few stairs leading to it. It had several windows and I had never seen anything like it, I didn't know what it was or if I should approach it, but the curiosity spoke louder and I hoped that someone was in there and could show me the way.

I walked toward the house and something under my feet clicked and suddenly I could see nothing but the ground getting further and further away. Something had trapped me, and I was now several feet off the ground, wrapped in ropes and barely able to move. I looked around and panicked, I did not know how to get out of there, nor who would have put that trap there. I was so worried about getting stuck in traps that I ended up falling in one... Again... nice one, Lucy!

I continued to look around for something that might help me out, until I heard footsteps. They were close and I searched for the sound… They were getting closer and I shivered.

"Hahaha, trying to steal food from me again, little prick? How about that? Do you like my new trap?" I had no idea who was talking, but I turned to the voice and looked behind me, "Huh? You're not a racoon... Who the hell are you?"

I could ask the same thing, but my voice didn't come. In front of me was a boy I did not know, could not be from my village. He had pink hair that was a little long, in my opinion, and some strange clothes... like my grandmother's. It looked like a black jacket with an orange stripe, but it only covered one of his arms, with white trousers and black sandals. Again... something unusual… men with sandals? I also noticed the strange scarf around his neck... it was white, but it had... a strange pattern, it looked like scales...

"Tsk, great... Don't tell me I caught a mute."


	6. Flames

**Author's Notes:** Hi, guys! I apologize for the delay, this chapter was supposed to arrive much earlier! I have many chapters and ideas to show you and I am very excited to finally start the biggest part of my story. Thanks to everyone who gave it a good feedback and motivation to continue it, I hope you like this chapter! This is for the Nalu lovers and their little fights :)

* * *

I couldn't believe what was happening. I didn't have time for that, I still could not believe that I had fallen into such an obvious trap, I did not even know who this guy was. He could only stand there with his hands on his waist waiting for me to say something, but I just wanted him to get me out of there as soon as possible.

"Are you gonna keep quiet? Are you comfortable in there?" he grinned at me.

"Let go of me!" I finally managed to say, that smile was irritating me, especially because I was wasting time there.

"Oh! Finally, something! I was hoping to be here all morning waiting for you to beg me to free you. " he paused for a while, "However, I'm enjoying the view, so I don't feel like letting you out."

"What?!"

"The forest is beautiful from up there, so there's no problem for you."

"Are you kidding me? I did not ask to be up here! It was your stupid trap!"

"Stupid? I'd say it's a great job, it's not my fault that a dumb girl like you decided to come here, I was just waiting for an animal and you were the lucky one."

He was pissing me off too much, "Do you mind letting me go? This is not funny at all."

"I agree, you're getting annoying. See you later!" he turned away and started walking in the opposite direction.

"What?! No! Come back here, I told you to let me go!"

"Tsk! You're too loud for someone who's stuck and doesn't know how to get away. If I were you, I'd be a little bit more nice."

"Who do you think you're talking to? You stupid boy, let me go! I need to go to the mountains as soon as possible and this stupid joke is just messing everything up!"

He stood for a few seconds and looked at me with an even more serious look, I didn't even know if he was going to say anything. I was too restless to realize what he might be thinking, I did not want to give Virgo enough time to figure everything out and take me back to the castle. My little journey was yet to start.

"Well, it looks like you're going to be there for a while. Maybe you're smart enough to free yourself. See you later, blondie!"

He started to walk away and I just thought about yelling at him to come back and help me. I knew I could not get out of that trap by myself and it seemed that the more I struggled for him to let go, the less he cared. It was pissing me off! I knew that I would not be able to get out of there, even if I tried to move so that the ropes would be released by a miracle.

"Wait!" he stopped, "Please... Can you... set me free? I really need to go... Please, I'll do or give whatever you want in return as soon as I come back, but please... let me go."

I had no idea if pleading would help, but after a few seconds, I noticed that he began to move again, toward the rope that was stuck in one of the trees. He pulled out the jig that held the rope and suddenly I was back on the ground, too fast for my taste and I probably already had a butt injury that would torture me for days.

"I don't like to see girls begging, not my style… Besides, you're not my prisoner anyway."

"Ugh, thank you. You could have put me on the floor a little slower, I think you just ruined one of the best things about me."

He tilted his head a little to look at my… butt and I hastened to hide. "Nah, I don't think so." he smiled as he noticed my angry face.

"I don't expect someone like you to have good taste, since you live literally in the middle of the forest."

"Hey! I just released you, you don't want to back up there, do you?" he came too close to me and stared into my eyes. I just had time to step back.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"Does that matter? Weren't you in a hurry to go somewhere? Go on, I don't have the time or patience for girls like you."

"Can you stop being so rude?" What a lack of education, I am sure you do not belong to any noble family, not even a kingdom. I do not think anyone is as nasty as you."

"You don't go out very often, do you?" he looked at me with a confused look, and I did not even respond. I did not want him to know who I was, much less where I came from.

"Enough, I have no time to lose! Thank you for letting me go, I'm going now!" I started walking in the direction that I thought was right, but I just wanted to leave because I knew that if I kept talking to that guy, I would go completely crazy.

"Wait a minute. Do you even know where you're going?"

"What do you mean? Do you think that because I'm blonde I have to be dumb? You're so rude!"

"Umm, that's not it... The way to the mountains is that way." he pointed to a sign that I had not even noticed. I looked at him and he was almost starting to laugh, so I tried not to pay attention and walked the path indicated by the arrow. "Something tells me you will not survive a single day in this forest."

"Pfft, what do you know about me? If it had not been for your stupid trap, I'd be halfway there already."

"Right... or you'd probably be trapped in an even worse trap for the monsters that live here."

I stopped for a moment and looked at him, he was smiling. Of course, this could only be another attempt to frighten or mock me, I turned my back again and waved at him, indicating that I was finally leaving. I was almost sure that I'd heard a small laugh coming from him, but I did not care and continued on my way.

* * *

I don't know how long I walked in this forest, but I followed all the signs I found along the way, so I would have to arrive at my destination sooner or later. What interested me at the moment was that I had at least a few hours ahead of Virgo, if she had ever found out about my escape. I'd found all sorts of animals since I left that guy, all kinds of animals I knew from the castle books. I kept walking and heard a noise. I had no idea what it was, but it was very much like the noise I had heard last day and I stood there wondering if I should run away again or just be quiet waiting for whatever it was to disappear without noticing me. I heard the noise again and it was getting closer, so I tried to walk slowly so as not to make noise and try to find a cave similar to the other. I just wanted to hide, I didn't want this animal to find me because it would ruin everything. I knew that a girl like me in a forest like this, not knowing about half of the things that wander around this world, was suicide but for my parents and my kingdom, I couldn't stand still.

I walked and walked, too slow until... another noise, this time coming from my feet. I had just stepped on a branch of a tree and got nervous. I heard that grunt again, closer and closer and my instincts struck. I started running. I could feel something running behind me as well and my heart skipped faster and faster. I had to hide, I had to find something to save myself. To my despair, what was in front of me might very well be my death. A dead end, they were trees all together on a hill, I knew I could not climb it and I felt trapped. I did not want to even turn around, I did not want to see what was behind me. I looked at my feet and saw a kind of stick, thick enough to pierce something if I tried. I felt my heartbeat accelerate more and more, and I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and finally turned. What was in front of me was an animal, I had seen this species in the books, but something was different this time. It was a panther, I knew, but its eyes were red and glowing, I had not seen any of it in the books. Something told me it was not a normal panther and that was enough for my breathing to get irregular.

The panther snarled again and I felt my nerves rise to the surface. I had no idea if I could do anything against it, but I had to try. That feeling I felt in the throne room, in which my impulse seemed to scream inside of me was happening again. The panther positioned itself in an attacking position and I knew it was only a matter of time before it jumped at me. I tried to prepare as much as I could and waited for it. As soon as I saw its paws fidgeting and running toward me, I positioned myself in a defense and waited for the attack. Suddenly, a flame passed before my eyes and hit the panther, which made it retreat. I looked to the side and someone jumped in the middle, staying between me and the panther. The person had his back to me, but as soon as I noticed the scarf with the scales, I knew who it was. The guy from before.

He set himself in a strange attacking position, with his arms outstretched and clenched fists, as if he were challenging the panther, and I was too anxious, I had no idea what was happening or how the boy had found me. Something told me that he had followed me, but I did not know why. The panther came back again and looked at the boy, defying him too. What happened next was too fast for my brain to handle, the two of them lunged at each other and the boy created flames with his fists. The boy was making fire only with his fists. He hit the panther several times and even then, the beast was not yet surrendered. I knew it was not normal, there was something different about this panther, it could not be an ordinary animal. It started to attack again and as soon as it launched, the boy jumped and I stood there looking at him in the air, without reaction. He flipped in the air and then flung his fist to the ground, hitting the panther and leaving it completely down there. It didn't move again after that and its bright eyes lost their color and the glow.

The boy stood, shook his hands, and looked at me smiling, "Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't survive alone?"

"I could have defended myself perfectly!" I crossed my arms, "Thank you for helping anyway."

"Stubborn girls… the worst thing that can walk through a place like this."

"Rude again! How did you even find me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I followed you, do you even have a functional brain?"

"Why?"

"Umm, I don't like to see anyone lost in this place, especially a girl. I decided that seeing how you would get away would be the best thing to do." he smiled and I got even more confused because why was he so interested about my well-being? He didn't even know me, "Thank you again. I'll be more careful next time, I better get going before it gets dark."

"Huh? What the hell do you mean? You're coming with me." he grabbed my arm unexpectedly and I stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Don't even think about it! I told you, I have to go to the mountains, I can't stay with you and chat or… whatever it is that you're thinking."

"Are you going to walk around by yourself after what happened? Are you stupid or just want to die?"

"Listen, I know you probably feel so much alone living in this forest, but I don't have time to be your talk-mate." I tried to get him to drop my arm, but he kept holding on and pulled me closer.

"Do whatever you want once you're in front of the mountains, I'll take you there if I have to, but for now you'll come with me and spend the night in that house. I'll give you a map you if you think you can get there by yourself, but I will not be responsible if a girl ends up dead in this forest."

I stared at him again, he was really worried if I'd hurt myself in any way. I could not yet understand why and I could see that he was being that way to me as he would be to anyone else who would cross that forest in my place, but something was making my heart pound after hearing those words of concern. I tried not to fight him any more, even if I wanted to, that arm was too strong for my taste and he was not going to let me go so fast. I was afraid that Virgo would catch me if I stopped now, but I remembered that the road where that house was, was the opposite way of the mountains, she would certainly be smarter than me and would find all those indication signs.

"All right, as you wish. One night only, then you let me go." he nodded and pulled me all the way, not saying a single word. I just snorted and followed.

* * *

As soon as we got to that house, I looked inside. It was nothing special or extraordinary, but the furniture told me that the boy had been living there for a long time, and apparently he was making it home. I had no idea why he decided to live in that forest instead of a normal house in any village because certain belongings he had were rare and I knew that only certain people with some money were able to have that, but still I decided not to ask why. I I just wanted that night to pass quickly to continue my journey. He went to one of his bookshelves and pulled out a huge piece of paper.

"Well, here's a map of this place. I'll mark the way for you and then you can do whatever you want with your life."

He picked up a pen and began to draw the path through the forest. There was still a bit left... The map was really big and there were certain places in it that I did not know and did not even know what they were. I knew that some regions were part of other kingdoms, but I knew nothing of what was in the middle of each one of them. After all, this was my first time out of my own castle and it was already a complete mess. He just drew and gave me the map, not giving me time to respond. He went straight to the door and I was confused.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Looking for food? Ever heard of dinner or do you want to spend the whole night without eating anything?"

"What do you mean? Don't you have food in this house?"

He laughed in an unexpected way, "That is the most boring thing I've ever heard. Of course not, I hunt fresh food every day!"

I could not help being a little annoyed by this... Did he hunt for his own food? I could tell he was good at catching things thanks to the trap, but hunting for food every day? He had to be too good if he did not want to spend his whole life eating only rabbits or other animals that were easy to catch. Besides, he did not even take a bow and arrow with him. He was a strange guy and something made me wonder if the wizard Gray told me to find would be like that as well… I hope not.

I spent some time sitting on one of the sofas the boy had and it was getting too boring. I shook, tried to close my eyes or something to distract myself, but nothing worked. Until I looked at the bookshelf he had removed the map before and I saw several strange books that I did not know nor could remember seeing in the castle. I got up and went to inspect more closely. I really did not know what those books were, and the headlines were all written in a strange, rare language I could not read. I picked up one of the books and looked at the cover, aside from the strange letters that made my head ache, the decorations were even stranger. Several brands and lines and weird designs, figures that looked like creatures and even a... dragon? Some parts of the book were too worn out to notice, something told me that this book was too old and I had absolutely no idea how this guy possessed something like it. I heard the door open and set the book down as fast as I could.

"Have you ever been taught that snooping is also rude?"

"Pfft, I was not snooping, I just love books. Besides, they're all written in a strange language, I don't understand why you'd have them if you can't even read it."

"What do you mean by that? I can read."

"Y-You… can read it? This language? How?" he looked at me angrily and went to the table, placing a huge deer on top of it.

"Stop asking so many questions and come eat, I'm starving!"

"You're joking, right? You're not even going to cook it? We're going to eat like this?!"

"Huh? Of course, what the hell are you waiting for?"

I stared at him for a long time, hoping he was just mocking me again, but he looked back and seemed even more impatient, "You don't expect me to eat it like that!"

"Tsk, do what you want, blondie. You can go outside and get some worms too, I heard they have good nutrients and help with wrinkles."

"W-Wrinkles?! What do you mean by that?" I covered my face and he smiled. I was too irritated and noticed the fireplace in the middle of the room. I looked at him with puppy eyes, "Umm, do you mind..." I pointed to the fireplace and he looked at me confused.

"You think I'm some kind of walking match?"

I kept looking at him with those eyes and he rolled his own. He pointed his finger toward the fireplace, forming a flame and lit it. I was glad to be able to at least eat the meat like a normal person. I thanked him and took a piece of meat.

"Tsk, you really are too weird."

"A princess can't eat anything raw, she needs to feed herself properly."

"Princess?" he laughed non-stop, "You're really full of yourself!"

That's right... he didn't know who I was, that comment must have seemed crazy. He did not even know my name, how could he know who I was? I didn't want him to know, and if he asked me, I would probably have to lie, but I was a little surprised because I finally knew I was in a place where no one treated me as "princess" or "highness" and that was a little strange to me. Still, I was enjoying this sense of freedom. I didn't know who this boy was either, his way of life was too strange and nothing made me want to stay in this place for another second, but I wanted at least to know who he was, since he wasted his time saving me before.

"Don't you think it's a little rude to invite me to your house and not tell me your name?"

"Have you told me yours?" I looked at him and frowned, talking to that guy was difficult.

"Levy." my sister's name, it was weird to use that name since she disappeared, but that was the only way I could avoid saying mine.

"Strange, it does not suit you at all. I was even waiting for you to say a more masculine name." he smiled and I wanted to throw something at him, "I'm Natsu."


End file.
